PRICES: High Living

Never in U.S. history had the cost of living been so high. Between Jan. 15 and Feb. 15 it jumped 1.3% to 183.8, reported the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In this day of escalator clauses, the report of such a rise starts another rise on its way. A million workers, most of them in the auto industry, are entitled to pay increases on the strength of BLS's report last week. Another million non-operating railroad workers became eligible for a 6¢-an-hour pay boost even though more than a 2¢ increase would put them over the legal wage ceiling. Their contracts, negotiated since the wage freeze, did not have the government's O.K. and presumably ran counter to other segments of Economic Stabilizer Eric Johnston's policy. Would he stop them? Washington, the U.S., waited to see.